Rock Paper Scissors - Maurice El Medioni meets Roberto Rodriguez, Descarga Oriental: The New York Sessions (Piranha)

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Sample Track 1:
"Je N' Aime Que Toi" from Descarga Oriental: The New York Sessions (Piranha)

Sample Track 2:
"Oh! Ma Belle" from Descarga Oriental: The New York Sessions (Piranha)

CD Review

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Shepherd Express, CD Review >>

Descarga Oriental brings together a Sephardic Jewish pianist from Algeria, Maurice El Medioni, with Cuban pianist Roberto Rodriguez. The collaboration is unsurprising for anyone following Rodriguez, who explored klezmer music on a previous CD. Nor is it a grafting of incompatible influences, given the shared Moorish history of their vastly separated cultures. The resulting music is reminiscent of the sophisticated, worldly sounds of old Havana, brought sleekly up to date, with the Arabesque influence of Cuba's Spanish heritage upfront. The grooves are hypnotic, the rhythms rich and the melodies gorgeous.

-David Luhrssen 06/15/06 >> go there

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